We often talk about power as if it were something abstract, something that develops for elective affinities or for other unavoidable and undetermined reasons. But still power is something wanted and pursued by persons, by individuals, it is the expression of their hunger for privileges. Those persons unlimitedly work on the expansion of their ego in detriment of others. The human civilisation has always been scattered with the presence of egos conceitedly excessive of personages who have used, crushed and sacrificed the others to climb even more higher on the steps of the hierarchical system, that essentially mental construct which is the premise for power. These individuals are moved by the brutal instinct, the same of a cruel troglodyte with no empathy at all who mates by rape, and injures possible rivals, possibly even just to steal some food.

Since ever art has tried to report the abuse of power, to discuss about the need to dominate the others, about the interferences of the powerful in life and individual freedom of others.
The most common way with which artists try to make the aggressive people aware of their insatiability has always been satire, the mocking of power, but this had determined the birth of censorship, that is the ban on making fun of the greedy. However, today satire is protected as a fundamental right to human expression, even if just because it is used as a means for propaganda by the same power, in the fight between contenders for the apex. Instead, the honest moral lesson is not due to the struggle for power and the envy, but it can be a peaceful instrument of self defence, in the attempt to enlighten the vile, or at least to bring justice to the oppressed ones.
Therefore the artist who wants to feel free must manoeuvre, today as in the past, trying to cunningly stay at a distance from both censorship and propagandistic satire, often resorting to elaborate and subtle allusions to avoid the ruinous sues for defamation of the concerned people. “L.O.V.E.” comes to mind, the Art déco style monumental sculpture of a hand with the fingers cut except the middle and placed in front of the Exchange building of Milan, a bitter satire because the back faces people.
Nonetheless, also in the past the big quarrels between the elites and the population have issued toward the sharp slur in general terms, reporting the sin and not the sinner, like in the allegorical hyperbole of a prophet, making fun of the pompous, frivolous and vain human arrogance, for example as in the form of the noisy, mellifluous and inconclusive Pulcinella comedy characters with which Giandomenico Tiepolo, son of the renown Giambattista, represented nobles and bourgeois of that time, or like the greatest supporter of the moral allegory, Hieronymus Bosch, with his ship of fools, probably inspired to the one made by Albrecth Dürer and then revisited by artists of all times. So we pass through the veiled depiction of the dullness of powerful people seeping from the royal portraits painted by Francisco Goya, to the energetic representation of the most hot blooded and despotic military unreasonableness of the “generals” by Enrico Baj, or the criticism of the corny and winking hedonism of bourgeoisie, that flourished on the sunset of aristocracy, portrayed by George Grosz, taking us back to today.

Full texts and critical analises continue on the catalogue.

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The CON-TEMPORARY Art Observatorium exhibition room is located in the centre of Lavagna, in the midst of Riviera Ligure di Levante, northern Italy. The location is well serviced, a few steps from bus and railway stations, the touristic jetty, free 2h parking and near the highway exit. Access for impaired people and lift.

By foot, by train or bus: exiting the train station of Lavagna by the city side, go to the left going along the main street until the Poste Italiane post office, here turn right toward Via Cristoforo Colombo street, as soon as you arrive at the roundabout of Piazza Cordeviola square turn left in Corso Buenos Aires boulevard. The building n. 42 is at the start of the boulevard.
Bus stop "Lavagna - P.za Cordeviola/Edicola" linee 4, 5, 31, 32, 34, 46 and 98.

By boat: on the maritime line fares Portofino / Lavagna / Cinque Terre disembark at the touristic harbour of Lavagna. Exiting the harbour, turn left in Via dei Devoto street and go beyond the railway by the underpass that takes you to the Poste Italiane post office, then follow the directions above.

By car: toll road A12 E80 Genova-Livorno, exit at Lavagna, go toward the town centre. At the roundabout of Piazza Cordeviola turn right in Corso Buenos Aires and stop at the start of the boulevard, number 42 .

By airplane: the nearest airport is the Cristoforo Colombo of Genoa, the shuttle bus VOLABUS will take you to the train station of Genova Brignole, from there you can reach Lavagna in 40-60 minutes.